2024-25 Canadian Studies Events

National Identity and Immigration in Contemporary Quebec: Comparing Majority and Minority Perspectives

September 24, 2024 | 12:30 - 2 p.m. | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speaker: Dr. Antoine Bilodeau, Concordia University

The “Illusion” of Childcare Reform: Childcare, Taxation, and Social Policy in Post-WWII Canada

January 28, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 p.m. | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speaker: Lisa Pasolli, Queen's University Canada

The recent introduction of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, known as C-WELCC, has brought renewed attention to the history of childcare policy and politics in Canada. Recognized as the culmination of decades of advocacy for universal, accessible, high-quality, and inclusive childcare, C-WELCC has been transformative for many Canadian families. The initial years of its implementation have also been tumultuous. Many ask how a “universal” program can be achieved or sustained when perplexing issues remain: what about the role of private operators? How can we ensure an adequate and qualified workforce when wages are not adequately addressed in the plan? How will capacity be created to deliver services to all who need it?

History reminds us that Canadian governments have often dealt with perplexing social policy issues by using the tax system. Indeed, critics of C-WELCC often insist that its challenges are insurmountable, and that it would be more effective to give parents more tax credits than to publicly fund a childcare system. But is it? This presentation, inspired by a need for informed debate about the future of childcare policy in Canada, looks backward to consider the relationship between the tax system and childcare policy in post-WWII Canada. It does so by focusing on the Child Care Expense Deduction (CCED), introduced in 1971. The CCED, while it is often relegated to footnotes in histories of Canadian childcare, had a significant impact on the childcare policy landscape in the decades after its introduction, and has a lot to tell us about the kind of childcare services that develop when policymakers lean on the tax system to deliver social policy objectives.

Lisa Pasolli is an associate professor in the Department of History at Queen’s University, Ontario. Her research explores the history of childcare, women and gender, and social policy in 20th century Canada. Her published works include the monograph Working Mothers and the Child Care Dilemma: A History of British Columbia’s Social Policy, published by UBC Press in 2015. She is currently one of the investigators on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada-funded Partnership Grant “Reimagining Care/Work Policies”, a multi-year and multi-disciplinary program examining childcare policies as well as parental leave and employment policies.

From the Shadows: Reflections on Sanctuary in Montreal Over the Long 20th Century

February 18, 2025 | 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. | 3335 Dwinelle Hall
Speaker: Laura Madokoro, Carleton University

In the first decades of the twentieth century, the notion of sanctuary was repurposed in an effort to protect migrants and refugees from deportation and create broad-based social justice movements aimed at reforming existing immigration regimes in the United States and Canada. The New Sanctuary Movement, or what has been called the Sanctuary City Movement or Solidarity City Movement, galvanized supporters while also drawing the ire of critics. These movements also called into question the very notion of sanctuary, its purpose, and how social change might be effected.

The city of Montreal, known as Tiohtià:ke in Kanien’kéha and Mooniyang in Anishinaabemowin, declared itself a sanctuary city in 2017. However, in the face of large-scale immigration in the wake of the first Trump administration’s so-called “Muslim Ban” and other restrictions on refuge, it quickly walked back this decision, opting instead to describe itself as a “responsible city”. The ease with which both the declaration and the change in course were effected offers an opening to interrogate the meaning and substance of sanctuary in our contemporary moment as well as the many ways it has manifested historically.

This presentation explores the history of sanctuary in Montreal, a city long characterized by a history of mobility and contested settlement, to interrogate the ways in which the seeking and forging of refuge has evolved historically. Using a series of case studies, this presentation underscores the shift from secrecy to public sanctuary in particular and raises questions about the extent to which contemporary sanctuary practices can address the fundamental injustices at the core of experiences of refuge and displacement.

Laura Madokoro is an associate professor in the Department of History at Carleton University, unceded Algonquin territory in Ottawa, Canada. Her research explores the transnational history of migration, refuge, settler colonialism and humanitarianism in the long 20th century. Her current research focuses on the history of imperial displacements. Professor Madokoro’s published works include Elusive Refuge: Chinese Migrants in the Cold War (Harvard, 2016) and Sanctuary in Pieces: Two Centuries of Flight, Fugitivity, and Resistance in a North-American City (MQUP, 2024). She is also an active member of several research collectives including the Montreal History Group, Critical Refugee and Migration Studies Canada, and the editorial collectives for https://activehistory.ca and https://refugeehistory.org.

Panel: Asserting Indigenous Title to Unceded Wolastoqey Territory

February 25, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 p.m. | 223 Philosophy Hall
Panelists: Allan Polchies Jr., Sitansisk Wolastoqey First Nation; Renée Pelletier and Victoria Wicks, Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP

In 2021, six Wolastoqey communities launched a landmark lawsuit asserting an Indigenous title claim over more than five million hectares of territory in eastern Canada, one of the largest in the country’s history. They assert that the area, which covers more than half of the province of New Brunswick, was never ceded under the Peace and Friendship Treaties which various tribes signed with the British Crown in the 18th century. In a first of its kind, defendants in the suit include not just the federal and provincial governments, but also multiple forestry and industrial companies. The Wolastoqey hope that victory will not only increase their influence over issues from land use to taxation, but possibly even result in the return of land to tribal ownership.

The lawsuit has major implications for Indigenous title claims across Canada, and the Wolastoqey have already scored several key victories in their fight to assert their land rights. In November, a New Brunswick judge ruled that a declaration of Aboriginal title could be made to privately-held lands. And change of provincial government has also softened the province’s stance, opening the door to greater cooperation. Join leading negotiators and legal experts from the Wolastoqey Nation as they discuss the case’s current status; the state of Crown-Indigenous relations; and how the suit could change the future of Indigenous nations across Canada.

Allan Polchies Jr. is the four-term Sakom (chief) of the Sitansisk Wolastoqey (St. Mary’s) First Nation, located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Sitansisk is the second-largest Wolastoqey community in the province, and one of the six plaintiffs in the title suit. Polchies has served over seventeen years on the band council, and has led the community through its Indigenous title claim.

Renée Pelletier is a partner at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP, and the lead counsel on the Wolastoqey title claim. She is a member of the New Brunswick and Ontario Bars, specializing in Aboriginal and treaty rights litigation and negotiation. She teaches courses on land claims and self-government at the University of New Brunswick and serves as co-chair of Osgoode Professional Development’s Certificate Program in the Fundamentals of Indigenous Peoples and Canadian Law. In 2024, she was awarded the Osgoode Hall Law School’s Alumni Gold Key Award for a Career of Distinction in 2024.

Victoria Wicks is an associate at OKT working on the Wolastoqey claim. She completed her law degree at the University of British Columbia, where she obtained a specialization in Aboriginal Law and worked at the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic. Before joining OKT, Victoria clerked at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and practiced at a litigation boutique. Victoria holds a Honours Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Toronto and is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.

Indigenous Confinement on the Canadian Plains

March 11, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 p.m. | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speaker: Benjamin Hoy, University of Saskatchewan

In 1867, Canada broke away from Britain and began to chart a new path across the continent. As immigrants pushed deeper onto the prairies, the Canadian government began to devote far more attention to designing and implementing policies that would allow them to control and confine Indigenous people. Hunger forced the Cree, Métis, and Siksikaitsitapi onto reserves. Once there, Northwest Mounted Police officers restricted their mobility, limiting the ways they could hunt, fish, or visit relatives. Canadian prisons confined those who resisted assimilation. Collectively these approaches transformed the prairies – recasting them from a geography controlled by Indigenous nations to one dominated by an emerging Canadian state.

Benjamin Hoy is an associate professor of history at the University of Saskatchewan. He received his BA from the University of Guelph and his MA and PhD from Stanford University. His current research examines the creation, demarcation, and enforcement of the Canadian-United States border between 1775 and 1939, exploring the extension of federal power and its uneven impact on disparate groups and Indigenous communities. His first book, A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada-United States Border across Indigenous Lands, received the 2022 Governor General’s History Award for Scholarly Research, Canada’s most prestigious historical prize.

Generating Sustainable Indigenous AI

April 11, 2025 | 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speakers: Michael and Caroline Running Wolf, First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR)

Michael Running Wolf and Caroline Running Wolf, co-founders of First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) will discuss their work to revitalize endangered Indigenous languages through artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive technology. The project is housed at Mila, Canada’s foremost AI research institute. FLAIR partners with multiple Indigenous communities across the Americas to drive the next chapter in Indigenous language reclamation. In addition, the project envisions a future where Indigenous people attain technological sovereignty while addressing data ownership issues and systemic barriers to Indigenous AI. Their work researching an automatic speech recognition system for highly polysynthetic languages has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2024-25 The Tech for Global Good award and the Patrick J. McGovern AI for Humanity Prize.

Michael Running Wolf (Northern Cheyenne and Lakota) was raised in a rural prairie village in Montana with intermittent water and electricity. Naturally he has a Master of Science in computer science, was an engineer at Amazon’s Alexa, and former faculty at Northeastern University. Michael is an AI ethicist who envisions an Indigenous future where Indigenous communities, alongside reclaiming their languages, attain technological sovereignty while addressing data ownership and systemic barriers to Indigenous AI. He co-founded and is Board President of IndigiGenius, a nonprofit in the USA dedicated to increasing the representation of Indigenous people in computer science. Among other awards, Michael has received an MIT Solve Fellowship, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and the Centri Tech Social Justice Innovation Award. He is currently pursuing his PhD at McGill University.

Caroline Running Wolf, née Old Coyote (Crow) is a language activist and XR producer dedicated to supporting Indigenous languages and data sovereignty. Caroline serves on multiple advisory boards where she champions the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges. As co-author of the Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper and in speaking engagements, Caroline is an advocate for Indigenous data sovereignty, data justice, and AI ethics. She co-founded and serves as treasurer of IndigiGenius. Her PhD research at the University of British Columbia partners with Kwakwaka’wakw communities and explores applications of immersive technologies (AR/VR/XR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance Indigenous language and culture reclamation.

Panel Discussion: 2025 Canadian Federal Election

March 11, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 p.m. | 223 Philosophy Hall
Panlelists: Justin Meyers, Nelson Mullins; David Murray, One Persuasion; Jordan O'Brien, Porter O'Brien; Tamara Small, University of Guelph.

Canadian Studies invites you to join us next week for a lively panel discussion on Canada’s upcoming Federal elections. Representatives from Canada’s major political parties will discuss key issues affecting the election landscape, and how developments in the United States have radically shifted the dynamics of the race. Panelists include:

Justin Meyers, a Senior Policy Advisor at Nelson Mullins. He works as a lobbyist in Washington, DC, focusing on US-Canada trade and energy issues.

David Murray, who served as Director of Policy for Conservative PM candidate Pierre Poilievre. He is Senior Vice President at One Persuasion, a national political strategy firm.

Cheryl Oates, who served as deputy chief of staff to Alberta premier Rachel Notley and has worked as a campaign manager for the NDP in Alberta and Saskatchewan. She leads the Western Canada practice for the strategy firm gt&co.

Jordan O’Brien, a cofounder and partner of The Porter O’Brien Agency, a public relations and consulting firm. He worked for the Government of New Brunswick for ten years, including as chief of staff and deputy minister in the Office of the Premier.

Tamara Small is a professor of political science at the University of Guelph. She is a leading expert in Canadian politics, with a research focus on digital politics.

Student Research Showcase: Canadian Multiculturalism in a Global Context

March 11, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 p.m. | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speakers: Nadia Almasalkhi and Britt Leake, UC Berkeley

Learn about the research Canadian Studies funds through our Edward E. Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowships, as recipients present overviews of their projects. Speakers will evaluate the success of Canada’s multicultural model in an international context, considering the integration of new immigrants, Quebec, and Indigenous nations.

Explaning Diasporic Voting Patterns Among the Lebanese-Canadian Community
Nadia Almasalkhi, PhD student, Sociology

Nadia’s research compares the political engagement of Lebanese in Canada, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. She examines how different integration frameworks affect levels of political engagement by overseas voters in Lebanese elections. Her Hildebrand Fellowship supported interviews with members of the Lebanese community in Toronto. Nadia hopes to understand whether Canada’s “assisted multiculturalism” paradigm influenced the lower rate of overseas voting seen in Canada when compared to the US or UAE.